Held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Cambridge, MA – 13 May, 2025 – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has held the Saudi Business Forum at MIT 2025, bringing together academic leaders, startups, innovators, and corporate representatives to explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship, and market expansion. Organized by the Saudi Students Club at MIT, the event marked a unique intersection of student-led initiative and institutional cooperation—bridging global entrepreneurship with emerging opportunities in the Middle East.
The forum featured representatives from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Saudi Consul General in New York, alongside innovation-focused organizations such as inspireU and solutions by stc. Participants discussed the evolving landscape for startup growth, foreign market entry, and policy frameworks supporting innovation-driven economies.
Speaking at the event, the Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in New York, H.E. Abdullah Alhamdan, highlighted the role of youth in building global partnerships, emphasizing how international dialogue and grassroots efforts contribute to broader diplomatic and economic collaboration.
The three-day program included strategic workshops led by MIT REAP (Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program), panel discussions on public-private cooperation, and a startup pitch competition focused on artificial intelligence and international scaling.
The Beyond Borders AI Startup Competition was designed to identify early-stage ventures based in the United States with an interest in entering the Saudi market. The winning startup, PublicAI, received a package of operational and strategic support facilitated by Saudi public and private stakeholders. This included guidance on market entry, access to regulatory and technical infrastructure, financial backing through a grant provided by inspireU, and acceleration services offered by solutions by stc.
inspireU, the startup accelerator backed by stc, has supported over 130 technology ventures across AI, IoT, fintech, and cybersecurity. Its portfolio has surpassed SAR 10 billion in valuation, with alumni such as Tweeq, Marn, and Nala achieving regional success and notable acquisitions. Collectively, inspireU-backed startups have raised over SAR 1 billion and reached more than 52 million users across MENA.
With a growing regional presence in Kuwait and Bahrain—and increasing visibility at global events such as Web Summit and VIVAtech—inspireU is playing a key role in attracting international entrepreneurs and supporting the expansion of innovation into Saudi Arabia.
The forum demonstrated how academic networks and national institutions can align to support innovation and talent mobility. For many attendees, it served both as a learning environment and a springboard for future partnerships between U.S.-based entrepreneurs and organizations operating across the Middle East.
